


An Angry Bee

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Series: Fake Smiles, True Friends [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Chloe KNOWS, Chloe is a good friend, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Chloé is not happy, Don't copy to another site, Established Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Identity Reveal, Marinette has depression, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 09:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17241635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: Chloe's return to the classroom went largely unnoticed by everyone, but that didn't mean Chloe didn't notice the changes in status quo.Then she realises her greatest rival had been broken.(She isn't happy.)





	An Angry Bee

**Author's Note:**

> This was in my notes in my iPhone. I polished it off while waiting for my flight back to my home country last night, and I spent the last two hours thinking of a title. Let's say I wanted a pun but it failed. Also, while this ain't as dark as Smile was, it does follow up on what happened. A short, sweet little present to celebrate the New Year's Eve. Its about hour to 2019 for me here. Sooooo, enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

 

 

Two weeks. She had taken two weeks off from school to spend some quality time with her mother. And when she comes back she finds that the status quo of their class had been upturned during her time off.

Lila Rossi was back. And it was visibly clear that their class had serious issues with gullibility and loyalty. How no one saw through the amount of shit spewing from her lips was baffling. How no one trusted Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s words over the words of a newcomer was just disgustingly astounding.

Despite how much she disliked Marinette, Chloe could at least admit that she deserved her position and popularity in the class, unlike Rossi.

It took her a couple more weeks of observing the current atmosphere in class, but it was also during it that she noticed something terribly wrong with Marinette.

She was no longer smiling like she used to. Oh sure she smiled and laughed as usual, but the smile that Chloe saw? She recognised because it had once been on her own face. On Adrien’s face, from before he joined her in school. Fake. Plastic. A front.

Someone had broken Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Chloe was pissed.

Before she could even do anything to correct the problem, one day, Marinette walked into the class, hand in hand with... Adrien?! Chloe choked in shock and horror as the class erupted in loud questions.

They didn’t notice Marinette wilt, a sudden shyness Chloe hadn’t seen since they were children. They didn’t notice Adrien squeeze the girl’s hand in reassurance, shattering those dreams she had of getting together with her childhood friend. They didn’t notice Lila Rossi’s pretty little face scrunch up in an ugly frown, Chloe’s suspicions beginning to rise.

They didn’t notice when the pair slipped out together as soon as class let out for lunch. Chloe did, sneakily following them into the quiet locker rooms as she eavesdropped on the pair.

“... can’t Adrien, I can’t stay in that room without remembering how they turned on me so easily!”

Marinette was... crying?

“Shh... don’t worry Princess, if you can’t handle it today, there’s no need to force yourself to stay.”

Huh... it had been a while since she heard Adrien sound this concerned. But _Princess_? What was that nickname about?! Since when did Adrien HAVE a nickname for Marinette?!

“But what if it happens again? What if Lila uses what we have now and twists it? What if she makes it like I got together with you out of spite? I can’t Adrien! I don’t want to find myself standing on that edge again, but I don’t want her hurting us anymore...”

Chloe rolled her eyes at the idea of Marinette faking a relationship with someone out of spite. Sure the girl had a mean streak when pushed, but something like that was simply beyond her! And... and...

...

... edge?

Chloe felt rage surge within her, and slammed the locker room doors open, startling the two occupants as she stormed in.

“ _MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!_ ” Chloe roared, then flinched when Adrien raised an arm defensively in front of Marinette, the girl shrinking behind the blond.

Cursing herself, she calmed herself and looked at Marinette in the eye.

 “... tell me you didn’t.”

* * *

Marinette had immediately hid behind Adrien the moment Chloe had stormed into the locker rooms in a fury. Adrien immediately threw his arm defensively in front of her, her heart warming at the familiarity of it all.

(Last night still felt like a dream and nightmare all rolled into one, almost taking that step off the edge and the reveal that her best friend and stalwart ally had in fact been the nicest boy she had ever met and her crush.)

Then, she watched as Chloe’s face flit between emotions, before settling on a disturbing calm.

“Tell me you didn’t.”

Marinette blinked. And then paled. She knew her face was giving away everything at this point. Chloe sighed, taking a step forward, before looking crossly at Adrien as her kitty continued to stand between them.

“You don’t have to worry about me hurting her Adrien. Unlike some people, at least I can see when Marinette’s been faking her smiles.”

That... was not what she expected from the blond. Neither was the hug she got when Adrien let Chloe through. A hug that told her that Chloe truly had a kind, discerning heart under the bitch queen facade she gave everyone, one that had allowed her to truly shine as Queen Bee.

Once again, Marinette broke down, crying into Chloe’s arms while the girl humorously began protesting about her tears ruining her clothes.

* * *

Leaning on his locker, Adrien gave his childhood friend a proud grin. Oh, how had she grown from that lonely little girl who hid behind false smiles and a fragile pride that was easily shattered.

As Marinette left the room to wash up, Adrien spoke up, “So, how are we doing this Chloe?”

“What do you think?” Chloe huffed as she shrugged off her jacket and placed it in her locker. “That Lila brat drove Marinette to the brink. And none of her friends noticed.”

“I do have to agree that Nino and Alya are being idiots right now,” Adrien sighed. “Are we going to hit them too?”

“As if. Marinette would never forgive either of us if we ever tried that.”

“So?”

“We hit the source. Out the liar on social media. Expose each lie one by one, the small ones first, until it is the ones she cannot deny because it is of someone too publicly known.”

Chloe had to start when she saw the cat like grin spread on Adrien’s face as he agreed to the plan, eyes glinting eagerly.

“Well now, I _bee-_ lieve that plan is simply _purr-_ fect.”

The deadpan look Adrien got from Chloe when she realised his identity from that single statement was simply glorious. So was the cursing she let out when he greeted Mari when she returned with a simple My Lady, outing her as well.

The scolding he got was worth it, if it meant two of the most important girls in his life would finally start getting along with each other.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Of all the Miraculous holders to learn of Marinette's suicide attempt, I wanted it to be Chloe, simply because she understands loneliness just as well as Adrien, and understands the front someone puts up to hide away the hurt. I loved her character development over the course of S2, starting out strong with her and Mari becoming more and more civil with each other (though they do have their spats) and culminating in a clearer understanding of who she is as a person and how she came to be the spoilt brat she was. 
> 
> I didn't pick either Nino or Alya simply because the two are complete idiots at times. Alya has been shown, time and time again to be an utter hypocrite, and currently Nino is blinded by his relationship with Alya. Neither of them are in any state to actually see what Mari is actually going through, despite her being Nino's "childhood friend" and Alya's "best friend".
> 
> As for Mari's character in this arc, you do not get over depression overnight. It stays with you for the longest time, the traitorous thoughts threatening to drive you back under. And Mari's anxiety is actually normal for her, if a bit tinged with her bout of depression right now. Mari's insecure under all that bravado as Ladybug and as class prez, something that isn't immediately obvious at first glance, but if one look backs at the Origins episodes, and the Frozer episode? It shows. 
> 
> Lastly, there's a reason I want Chloe in the know identity wise. While she is by far the worst candidate to know the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir due to her own identity being public, she's perhaps the one who has a better understanding of who the pair under their masks are compared to almost everyone else, having spent time as Mari's former bully and Adrien's childhood friend. The pair needs someone who is capable of just being bluntly honest to the both of them as support anyways, ignoring the hero worship and all.
> 
> In any case, I won't actually do a debunking fic of all of Lila's Lies. Because so many people have done so already. I personally prefer writing how people react to Mari's current state. So... maybe a Luka or Kagami segment next? Who knows. 
> 
> Anyways, once more, Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful 2018, and pray that 2019 will be a blessed year!


End file.
